Book of Chimera: Identity
by Nyx of Chaos
Summary: After the death of Voldemort and also of their hero, Harry Potter, the Wizarding World is lulled into a sense of security that is threatened by a conspiracy hatched by a shadowy organization. Can anyone help bring them and their sinister plans down?
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Book of Chimera: Identity

Author: Nyx of Chaos

Rating: PG-

Characters: Harry Potter, some canon characters and OC's

Pairings: No pairings

Spoilers: This follows the Harry Potter series till HBP and from then it is AU

Disclaimer: J.K Rowling created the characters and situations which is published in Bloomsbury, Scholastic and others. No monetary profit is expected by the author and no copyright and trademark infringement is intended.

Summary: After the death of Voldemort and also of their hero, Harry Potter, the Wizarding World is lulled into a sense of security that is threatened by a conspiracy hatched by a shadowy organization? Can anyone help bring them and their sinister plans down?

**Death of a Hero**

_Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them._

- Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, II, v

**Prologue**

Godric's Hollow, 1998

Dark grey clouds could be seen in the landscape of the quaint Welsh village. It had begun as an ordinary Saturday morning, with a clear but not so sunny sky. It was only after some time that the festering balls of grey had made a startling appearance. The villagers were rather taken aback by this. They had sworn they had not seen such a sight in a long time.

It seemed unnatural, at least to them. Whenever a townsman glanced up at the sky, a cold shiver seemed imminent to run briskly across their spines. The undercurrent of anger and frustration seemed to express itself in the depressing, grey background that scared them.

In one far corner of the town that was the cemetery, a stranger took no heed of the weather. His clear blue eyes were instead were fixed on the funeral party before him. Of wizards.

He carefully observed the figures before him. The most noticeable of them was a very old, somber-looking man with a long white beard and half-moon glasses. His bearing radiated a sense of power and grace embellished with sadness.

'_That's him. I never expected to see him like that. So helpless…'_

Next to the old man was a young boy. The boy-man was a tall, lanky redhead who had his arms full of a bushy-haired brunette, who was sobbing her eyes out. She was not the only one as an older plump redheaded woman was crying also.

'_Or rather wailing,'_ he thought wryly. Running his hand through his blond locks, he chuckled. Never in a million years had he even thought of it ending this way. That he would be at this funeral. He always wondered what they would say at this one's.

'_Probably will only have one line: He saved the world. Nothing more and nothing less' _He thought bitterly.

"Do you think they'll have a wake for you? Then again, you aren't Irish," Whispered a deep voice from behind him.

Startled, though quick, the blonde man turned to it. Catching sight of his companion, his expression changed from a glacial mask to one of annoyance.

"How many times have I told you to NEVER sneak up on me, Brett?" he spat out.

The tall raven-haired man to whom the other's glare was fixed upon just arched his eyebrow and said, "Many times…though I never pay attention to it, James."

Taking the scene before him seriously now, the teasing look in his eyes softened. Turning to his companion he asked, "Are you ready?"

It was some moments before James had answered him, for at that moment, his eyes were still on the people Apparating out of the cemetery. The expression in his eyes had hardened a bit and it was with that very same coldness that he replied, "As I'll ever be."

Brett had nodded and from his Muggle coat took out a toothbrush.He thenextended it to James, who grabbed it. They had disappeared from the cemetery.

It was quite still in that graveyard and with the storm clouds, still brewing and thundering over the village, the first raindrops came surprisingly soon, over the only freshly dug grave. The marker read:-

_Harry James Potter_

_1980-1998_

_He shall never be forgotten_


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: J.K Rowling created the characters and situations which is published in Bloomsbury, Scholastic and others. No monetary profit is expected by the author and no copyright and trademark infringement is intended. However, any places, character and the plot belong to me.

A/N- Please review, I really want to know what people think of this story.

**Chapter Two: Sitting On the Tip Of the Iceberg**

Kingsley Shacklebolt's office, Ministry of Magic

May 25th, 2003, 2:00 pm

Five years after the death and defeat, of Lord Voldemort, Kingsley Shacklebolt had done very well for himself, as Head of the Magical Law Enforcement and of course, after the retirement of Madam Bones, who stated in her press release that she was ready to, "_put her feet up and enjoy a life of quiet bliss and contentment without any signs of impending doom". _So it was only natural, that Kingsley was now seated in his predecessor's office, in that same department, after his retirement from active duty.

The second war had taken its toll on the once-fit Auror, though no permanent wounds had been wrought on him. Tiny crow's feet could be seen leading away from his eyes and the frown lines around his mouth were more pronounced. It appeared to make him look grimmer than usual to his colleagues and subordinates.

It was that same grim look coupled with an intense look of concentration that dominated his face now as he studied the parchment in his hand. It was an autopsy report from St. Mungo's, regarding the death or murder of one of his long-time friend and fellow Auror, Peter Griffiths. His eye ran over the concluding paragraph of the report once again, "…_death can be attested to belladonna, found in ample amounts in the victim and NOT to the earlier conclusion of mushroom poisoning."_

He was the one who had _suggested_ that his late friend's remains be re-examined for foul play. It was a risky gambit for his career but he had been sure of his hand as he was relying on his instincts and on his own knowledge of Peter's eating habits- he hated mushrooms.

The killer (or killers, as he silently amended in his mind) were careful and methodical. If he hadn't known Peter that well, he would have accepted the report at face value and so would have others. Peter was not very sociable around the department and had few friends. He was also unmarried and lived alone in his apartment. Kingsley placed the report back on his in-tray and looked at the small heap of files sitting on the middle of his desk. They were Files of other Ministry employees who had died during the last year or so, and who were, when alive, in relatively good health. Their deaths had been labeled with accidental or natural causes.

'_And poor Peter would have certainly been added if not for the second re-examination',_ he thought.

After three hours of reading each file and committing the relevant information to memory, Kingsley finished with his eyes feeling sore and heavy-lidded. Rubbing his closed eye-lids, he leaned back on the chair and meditated on what he had learned and mentally reviewed their names and positions in the Ministry.

_Augustin Lyorman… Unspeakable_

_Mandy Pritchard…Unspeakable_

_Dorreen Mirren…Unspeakable_

_Robbie Wilkes…Auror_

_Willard Fainkes…Mediwizard Specialist_

_Thomas Patterson…Auror_

_Daniel Falkner…Forensic Mediwizard_

_Peter Griffiths…Auror_

All the victims were in high key positions in their own department and some had been involved in the Second War against Voldemort. Was this a purge of some sort? Kingsley didn't think so. These murders were cautiously and methodically planned. If it was a purge, then the murders would have a signature of terror, displayed prominently. He had a feeling that if he dug even deeper then he would find more victims.

Kingsley let out a long-suffering sigh and glared at the files before him. He couldn't have picked a worse time to have unearthed a conspiracy. After the war, recruitment rates had dipped steadily downwards and the department was becoming increasingly short-handed year by year. Coupled with the deaths of more experienced Aurors, that meant many recruits fresh out of training with no field experience, would have to learn on their own, the ways and procedures of the department. It also meant that any investigation team he organized would be filled with fresh recruits. That didn't mean that he would ignore the evidence before him, other people's lives could still be in danger, but he still hated the procedures that followed this job, he'd have to organize everything…Oh! He could just imagine the parchment that would pile up because of it.

At precisely six pm, Kingsley Shacklebolt called a department meeting. He announced to his bewildered subordinates that he was opening an investigation in to the deaths of Griffiths and other Ministry officials in six weeks. In that time, he reminded his employees, that new recruits would be joining the department and he and a few others would be reviewing their files and interviewing them.

The next day at eleven thirty am, at a seedy inn in Knockturn Alley, three men would meet in an inn room and discuss the unexpected and unfortunate turn of events.


End file.
